I want to share a great BIG THANK YOU to all of the parents who made staff appreciation week so special for the Lab faculty. Lab parents certainly know how to show and share their appreciation! Everything from the fridge stocked with snacks and drinks, the King of Pops, morning muffins and coffee, the popcorn and candy buffet, and Friday's lunch were wonderful surprises for all of us during an exceptionally busy week. Thanks to Committee Chairs Jessica Weiner and Suzanne Crutcher and all of the parent volunteers who brought in food and supplies!

PTSO DIVERSITY MEETING

Looking ahead, I hope you will plan to come tomorrow, Tuesday, May 9 from 6:30-8:00 pm for our combined PTSO and Diversity meeting. This is the last meeting of the year, and our agenda includes:

End-of-Year Report by Mary Moss Brown;

Diversity Committee Update and Survey Results by Members of the Diversity Committee;

Selection of New PTSO Board; and

Much, much more!

We'll also have dessert and some time to socialize after the meeting. And, if you are looking to get rid of any uniforms that your family has outgrown, please consider dropping them off at the meeting. The PTSO plans to sell used uniforms at this summer's events.

Parking for tomorrow's meeting is free at Hal Marshall Annex on College Street and babysitting is available by emailing the PTSO. Cost for child care is $5/family, but don't let the expense keep you from attending.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

Mary Moss Brown

Head of School

______________WELLNESS UPDATE FROM MRS. WHELAN

It is hard to believe that it is the last month of school, and we are introducing our 9th character trait of the year. This month, we are talking to our students about "zest." Zest is a "vitality" for living and an approach to life that is filled with excitement and energy. Our students have found creative and insightful examples around this trait; therefore, I encourage you to talk to your child(ren) about what makes you feel zest in your own life.

ZEST

Ways to Show Zest

Actively participating by asking questions;

Showing enthusiasm through smiles or excited comments;

Approaching new situations with excitement and energy; and

Invigorating others around you.

Ways to Earn a Character Badge

Actively sharing during classroom time or advisory;

Showing excitement for learning new things and show the LAB way;

Identifying strengths and exhibiting them in the classroom and with friends;

Thinking about one of his/her strengths and writing or drawing a story about a time when they showed this strength at school, home, or with friends;

Imagining that the teacher wants them to read a new book and having students give examples of how they can show zest in this situation. Or have students draw a picture of how he/she can show zest; and

Showing the positives in possibilities (see the glass half full rather than half empty.

Follow up Questions for Students

What kinds of activities at school could we have zest for?

What could we show excitement and energy toward?

What does zest sound like?

Imagine you had a fight with your best friend, how could you show zest in that situation?

We are in the final week of our 30-day "Experiencing the Other" community-wide challenge. At Multicultural Night on Monday evening, we hope you will share your reflections on the experience at our collaborative art piece! If you and your family haven't participated yet, its not too late! Here are the details.

The main goal of this challenge is to help LAB families and staff have experiences that will allow them to be open, caring, and empathetic as our population becomes more economically diverse next year. Building up sensitivity to the struggles many of our families face is an important first step in creating this compassionate environment.

Here is one parent's reflection on a recent experience that changed the way she perceived people in the community who reach out and ask for help:

"Have you ever found yourself in a position of vulnerability where you needed to rely on the kindness of a stranger for monetary help? Until recently, I never had.

I rushed out of the house to run an errand and to pick up my daughter in after school. Thinking I would have time, I waited until the fuel light had been on for some time before stopping and that's when I realized I had forgotten my purse. I had no money and not enough fuel to return home. After kicking myself for getting into this jam, I realized the only way to get out of it was to ask a stranger for money.

Several questions raced through my mind: when I tell my story will anyone believe me or will they think I am running a scam? How many people will I have to ask to get enough money? Will they think I am really going to use it for fuel or something else? Regretfully, these are all thoughts I have had when approached by strangers. I immediately felt the vulnerability of being judged. It was not a good feeling to realize how unfairly I have judged others. I did not want to be in that situation, but there I was. Thankfully the first person I asked did not wait to hear my whole story before giving me more than enough money.

I was so touched by his unquestioning generosity that I was moved to tears. I was able to pay him back the next day and I have been eagerly paying it forward every opportunity since -- without judgement. There were several lessons learned that day. Help may come from the least likely person, no one wants to have to depend on others, and there truly are good Samaritans out there."

YOU DID IT!!

WOW! What an amazing final week we had to close out the Lab Innovation Fund. Thanks to our fabulous Lab families and extended community,
we exceeded our goal of raising $200,000 for the school. Hip Hip Hooray! We are still completing the final calculations and determining which class had the highest level of participation and won a pizza party, so please stay tuned for more good news. In the meantime, thank you to the Lab community for supporting your school.

MENTOR FAMILIES NEEDED

Want to share your enthusiasm for Charlotte Lab School? The Lab Mentor Families program is kicking off with a call for volunteers to serve as mentors to our newest families. We need your help!

Goals of the Lab Mentor Families program:

To increase our connections with new families over the summer and to ease their transition in the fall.

Serve as a grade level ambassador at summer events to help welcome and connect with new families in the same grade(s) as your child(ren). This may involve making phone calls, sending emails, sharing PTSO volunteer opportunities, and connecting face to face with new families to encourage community engagement.

Possibly serve as a mentor to an advisory group of families in the same grade(s) as your child(ren).

Our first event will be a play date at the school on Saturday, May 20 from 10-11:30 am at Charlotte Lab School

To volunteer, please use this link to enter your information electronically OR you may fill out the flyer that will be going home in green folders Friday, May 12.

The Book Fair is underway, and we are so excited to be working with a new book vendor, Bedford Falls. All classes will have a chance to visit the Fair this week for a browsing day and a buying day. The Book Fair will also be open each afternoon following dismissal, tomorrow night for the PTSO meeting, and Friday morning during Muffins for Moms.

Book BucksWe are also excited to announce a new program for our families. We will be selling Book Bucks at a discount for families in need. Each Book Buck costs $1 and has a value up to $5. Each student can purchase up to 3 (valued at $15). And, book bucks are also available to purchase at full price for any family who would like to use these instead of giving their child cash. Book Bucks can only be purchased in the front office. Note: Change will not be provided to any students using Book Bucks.

Book Fair Schedule

Monday - Browse Day for K, 2 (Group 1 & 2 only), 4, and 5

Tuesday - Browse Day 1, 2 (Group 3 only), and 3

Wednesday - Buy Day for K, 2 (Group 1 & 2 only), 4, and 5

Thursday - Buy Day 1, 2 (Group 3 only), and 3

Help Build Our LibraryTeachers have made wish lists of books that they would like to add to their classrooms, and these lists are displayed at the Book Fair. We hope that you will consider purchasing books for one of your child(ren)'s teachers.

Summer ReadingHere is a sneak peek at the summer reading lists for Lab. Some of the books are available at the Book Fair, and don't forget that a percentage of all sales comes back to the school.

VolunteersThe book fair would literally not happen without our amazing Committee Chairs Mandy French and Kelly Schwartz, as well as the rest of our parent volunteers. We still need a few volunteers to help with the Book Fair this week; please give us a hand if you can. Sign up here.

TUTORING OPPORTUNITIES

As a reminder, ALL tutoring programs will stop on Thursday, May 18. This includes both the volunteer- and teacher-driven programs.

If your family is interested in tutoring over the summer, the following staff members will be offering private tutoring opportunities. Scheduling and fees should be arranged directly with the individual staff member.

Join us on four Thursday mornings in May as we discuss the book Blessings of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel, PHD. Participants will be asked to read 2-3 chapters of the book prior to each discussion. Not able to attend all four discussions? No problem, join us whenever you are available. Check out wendymogel.com for more information.

Book club will meet immediately after drop-off. Get your child safely to school, find a parking spot (parking passes will not be available), grab coffee or a muffin over at Einsteins (in the UNCC building), and then join us for a group discussion. Prior to the first meeting, purchase a copy of the book Blessings of a Skinned Knee, through Amazon Smiles.

Book Club Details:

Date: 4 consecutive Thursdays on May 11, 19, 25 & June 1

Time: 8:30-10:00 am

Location: Break Room at UNCC, check with the lobby attendant for room number (it will change from meeting to meeting)

Sign up for text reminders using Remind 101. By subscribing to the Whole School AND your child's grade level, you will receive up-to-date text reminders of need-to-know information. Simply text the correct code to 810-10. Standard text rates do apply.